Survival
by Teehee28
Summary: Oneshot series, surrounding the group as they survive and fight the world that ultimately belongs to the dead. *Caryl* Request are welcome. :)
1. The Breach

_A/N: Hello everyone, sorry for being away so long. This is the beginning of the Oneshot Series. I am still taking requests so if you have any, don't be shy. I have created a couple of Woodbury characters in this one because as we all know, we don't know many of them yet =) so I hope you enjoy this =) – Claire xx _

_I don't own the Walking Dead._

**The Breach:**

Daryl stood looking out of the watch tower at the wandering walkers, they were always more active at night, but at least they weren't as vocal. He sighed, stretching; all the long nights on watch were beginning to take their toll on him. He glanced over his shoulder at Carol. When she'd first joined him up here on watch he was sceptical, not that she wouldn't be able to do it right but that her body may not be able to take the toll of the long hours on her feet. She already did the work of three people at the prison. She didn't need to be on watch when she could be sleeping.

"I'm fine you know." She said almost as though she'd read his mind. He looked away blushing hard.

"Why don't ya go back to the cell block, get some sleep? You haven't been sleeping well lately." He responded. He felt like a creep, she'd caught him staring at her, it was only meant to be a glance to see if she was okay. Lately she had his mind spinning every time he looked at her and this time was no different. This had happened before, but the first time was still the worst. She had been helping some of the younger Woodbury women to hang the washing out, she'd reached up to peg a shirt when her tank top had ridden up just a little and he'd chosen that moment to look up from cleaning his bow, he'd almost passed out at the sight of the pale, slither of skin. Glenn had been the one to snap him out of his daze.

"No, I'm perfectly fine! Right here!" she stated, finally turning towards him, he looked at her and was met by one of her precious smiles, he was sure that if she smiled more the world would be a better place, but she didn't really have much to smile about, she'd lost the only person that really mattered to her and her life before the apocalypse wasn't exactly rainbows and butterflies.

~T~

Carol had felt his eyes on her, and smiled. With Daryl she didn't get that nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach when he looked at her. She used to get it with Ed, but with Daryl, well when he looked at her she got butterflies, she honestly felt like a hormonal teenage girl.

"Carol, you do a lot, you don' have to keep watch as well." Daryl said looking back out at the yard. His eyes landed on the overturned bus and he felt a smile begin to tug at the corners of his mouth. He thought back to the first night at the prison, when she'd brought him food, he remembered her making a joke about fooling around, at the time he'd been stunned by her directness, yes, they'd grown closer during the winter but she had never been so direct. All he'd been able to do was snort, then he'd made it worse by saying he'd go down first, that just seemed to encourage her. He chuckled at the memory.

"What are you laughing at, Mr Dixon?" carol asked giving him a quizzical look.

"Um, nothing" dammit why didn't he just tell her, she wouldn't think it was weird, would she?

"Yeah, sure, nothing… I think you're lying to me" she deadpanned.

"Fine!" he replied, "I was thinking about the night on the bus," his voice harsher than he meant it to be, he ran a hand through his hair. Carol laughed, causing him to look at her. She would never admit it, but she thought about that night more than she should.

"That was a good night." She whispered, more to herself, but he heard it. She was turned towards him, keeping an eye on the Eastern fence at the same time.

"Daryl!" panic was thick in her voice and it caused him to rush to her side.

"What?" he said, looking over to where she was pointing, what he saw made his heart race, they had fixed all the openings in the fences and rewired the empty fence panels with fencing found in the prison. But now there was a new gap in the fence, dammit, and walkers were stumbling through it, to say he was shocked was an understatement.

"We need to warn the others!" he said, trying to keep his voice low, pulling her with him, they hurried down the steps of the watch tower and out into the cool evening air. The time spent in the cell block informing the others was brief. Daryl and Carol ran ahead towards the broken fence in an effort to thin out the growing amount of walkers.

Every capable hand in the prison was fighting alongside them, they were winning against the walkers but only by the skin of their teeth, some of the less experienced Woodbury people had been bitten, but they continued to fight. Daryl kept close to Carol and they worked together, he was proud of Carol, she had become handy with knives, she took down walkers as fast as he did.

Carol was working on pure adrenaline, she had seen people she called friends go down but she couldn't afford to let that slow her down, she had to keep going, had to fight the dead that threatened her livelihood, her family, and everyone at the prison. So she fought, with all her heart.

They finally killed the last of the walkers that had breached the fence. Rick and Glenn went to work fixing the breach. Rick had an ominous feeling that someone inside the prison had intentionally caused the gap. This wasn't the first time he had suspected sabotage, and this was because of some of the things that had happened since the arrival of the Woodbury people. He had tried to explain away some of the things that had been happening, putting them down to the fact that everyone was tired and things got misplaced. But his suspicions had grown two days ago when he noticed that Carol was complaining about some of her kitchen knives going missing. This had left him with a bad feeling tugging at his stomach. They had been such a close knit unit for so long and they trusted each other totally, but now with so many new arrivals he had become worried. At first he thought he was imagining it, but he did get the sense that not only him, but every one of the original group were being watched, weighed up and discussed, this left a bad taste in his mouth. He'd find out who it was that made the gap, because nobody put his family and the prison in danger without paying for it, after all they had been through and endured. Whoever was responsible would be dealt with quickly and mercilessly, because these days life and the daily struggle to stay alive could not be jeopardized, or taken for granted.

Daryl saw Carol across the crowd of people, he began making his way towards her but he was stopped in his tracks by Lisa, one of the Woodbury people, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He looked up to see Carol turn and make her way quickly towards the prison.

He glared at Lisa, what the hell was she doing?

"I'm so glad you're okay, Daryl, I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you!" she said looking up at him, she was in her mid-thirties; she had big brown eyes and long red hair. To him she was plain but he'd seen how the other men looked at her.

"Um, okay, what the fuck ya want Lisa?" he asked, glaring at her and gently prying her arms from around him, purposely moving away from her. He continued to glare but she seemed oblivious to it.

"You, I've seen the way you look at me and I know you want me too", she blurted, much to his astonishment. "I figured it out the day I was hanging out the washing with the others, you kept looking up at me, thinking I wouldn't notice, but I did, you weren't very subtle about it, and I knew what you were thinking, it was obvious by your body language." She smiled then. He could see why the other guys looked at her the way they did, but man oh man this woman was the farthest thing from his mind on the day she was referring to. Ah shit, he thought this wasn't good, he'd been staring at Carol that day, with love and respect he'd thought, he hadn't even realized this woman was there, because when he looked at Carol everyone else seemed to blur into the background.

"Lisa I wasn't-"his words where cut off by her lips crushing into his, he struggled to get her off of him, but her arms were around his neck in a vice grip, he tore her off of him pushing her away roughly.

"What the fuck Daryl?" she cried out.

"I don't fucking want anything to do with ya! I was looking at Carol! Not you!" he said through gritted teeth.

"What, that old hag, you want her?! She's disgusting," Lisa screeched indignantly. "Why don't you go for someone your own age!" she said throwing her arms up in exasperation, feeling her cheeks burn and sting red.

"She isn't an old hag, or disgusting, she's a fucking beautiful woman! And you will never be half the woman she is. She's not shallow like you, or a slut! Yeah, that's right; I've seen you with the other guys! You throw yourself at anyone who looks at you! Now get out of my way Lisa!" he yelled, her name leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He walked angrily away from her, his ears ringing with the hateful words of the woman; damn if she'd been a man he'd have beat her ass.

"I'd be careful if I was Carol, you never know what might happen to her!" she hissed as she turned to leave.

"You try touch Carol, and you're gonna wish you got bit here tonight ya hear!?" he yelled, anger coursing through his veins, he would not let that bitch near Carol.

Daryl ran up the stairs that lead to their cell, he had moved in with her when the Woodbury people had moved in, he didn't feel comfortable sleeping in a cage, but he had grown used to it, he didn't trust the Woodbury people and decided to keep Carol safe by moving in with her, she had been hesitant at first but after a while she had warmed up to the idea, she was less awkward about it.

He stood outside the cell, he could make out her small frame in the moonlight that seeped through the small window, she was trembling, and he knew she was crying, he'd seen her crying enough to know the signs. He stepped into the cell silently, not wanting to scare her.

"Why don't you just go bunk with Lisa?" Her voice hard, he froze, his heart beating rapidly against his chest, he had to fix this.

"What do you mean? I don't even like her." he said, sitting down on the floor next to her bunk.

"Yeah because that's what it looked like out there." She said "I saw you two kiss." Her voice broke on the last word. She felt her heart shatter, in her mind Ed was right, and no man would ever want her.

"She kissed me. Did you even stay and see what happened after it?" he whispered, anger clearly showing through now.

"No I didn't want to." She said sitting up and staring at him.

"I pushed her away, told her I didn't want her, I told her that I wanted you." He said, not meeting her gaze.

"What?" Her head snapped up at this, looking at him now, "you want me, just plain old me?" The surprise in her voice made him chuckle.

"Yeah, and I have for a long time. You don't have to sound so surprised. And you aren't plain, not in the slightest, or old, you're strong, beautiful and caring. Geez, Carol you could be an angel for all I know" He said finally meeting her gaze, she turned and flicked the lantern on, she smiled down at him, where he was sitting on the floor of the cell, and she loved this man so much.

"Daryl, I feel the same way." She said, her eyes filling with tears once more. But before she could speak again he was by her, his lips pressed against hers softly, and once she responded he deepened the kiss. It was in that moment that Daryl and Carol knew they were meant for each other.

~T~

Rick paced back and forth in his cell, the previous night still playing on his mind. The Woodbury folks were looking to him for an answer, but he didn't have one, he'd tried reassuring them but many had taken his reassurance as uncertainty on his part.

"Rick." Hershel's voice brought him out of his thoughts; he turned seeing the older man take step inside his cell.

"Yes, Hershel, what can I do for you?" Rick said, giving Hershel a fake smile. Hershel had been walking past when he had seen Rick pacing back and forth, he'd seen him do this before, with that same look on his face and he would not let the man back track, there was so much going for him lately, for all of them, so much good after all the bad.

"Rick, I want you to sit down." Rick did as he was told and sat on his bunk, tapping his foot anxiously, he didn't need this, and he needed to be out there finding out who cut the fence.

"You're getting lost in there again aren't you?" Hershel motioned to Ricks head, his voice soft and kind.

"I can't help it, I need to keep everyone safe, and I need to find the person or persons who are responsible for sabotaging everything and endangering our lives." Rick said, looking up at Hershel, who had a worried look of concern on his face.

"You don't have to do it alone, you have all of us we can help you. In fact I think Daryl and Glenn are already checking other fences for similar breaches, me and some of others are going to ask around if anyone saw anything." Hershel said shifting awkwardly on his new prosthetic leg.

"Thank you Hershel! I'm going to go help Daryl and Glenn, I'm sure they are bickering by now." Rick said as he stood up. Hershel patted him on the back as he left; he hoped Rick would be okay, he had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and everyone looked to him for all their needs and to sort out all their problems regarding day to day survival, forgetting that he was just a man. Rick took the role of leader very seriously. One time things just got too much and Rick slipped into his own world, fighting demons that others would have helped him fight, if he had only let them in, but that was Rick, stubborn and proud. Hershel had spoken to him after Ricks wife had died and it was like speaking to a corpse, the vacant eyes, the emotionless attitude, they had been lost without him and the group had nearly disintegrated, but just as that was about to happen Rick seemed to sense it, and pulled himself out of his dark pit of misery and abandon. Hershel had sworn that he would keep check on Rick and make sure that it didn't happen again.

~T~

"Are you sure you didn't see anything, Mrs Jones?" Beth asked the elderly woman who was knitting in her cell, she was a kind old woman, and always had a story to tell you, she had one of the kindest faces Beth had seen in a while.

"No dear, I didn't see anything, I've been inside since yesterday afternoon, and you know my body isn't what it used to be, so I have to rest a lot." Mrs Jones sighed looking up from her knitting.

"Okay, well thank you Mrs Jones." Beth said with a smile and left. The day hadn't gone well, every time she'd asked someone about the previous night they would either, panic, cry, say they hadn't seen anything or just stare at her blankly; people were beginning to irritate her. She had one last person on her list to ask, a young girl called Poppy, she was one of the younger girls, about Carls age. She approached the little girl who was sat outside by the small garden of flowers they had planted, Beth could see that the girl had seen her approaching, but Poppy didn't acknowledge her presence.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Poppy said not turning in Beth's direction.

"Yeah, they are. . . Poppy, I have some questions to ask you." Beth said sitting down next to the girl, she felt the afternoon sun beat down on her back, and smiled, it had been cold recently and the warm rays were welcome.

"Okay" Poppy whispered still not looking at Beth.

"It's about last night, everyone is being asked." Beth said, her voice taking on the pleasant tone it usually had, despite the repetitiveness of her questions.

"Um, okay." Poppy said, finally looking at Beth; she had blue eyes and short brown pixie style hair.

"Where were you last night before and after the attack?"

"I was in our cell with my mum and sister. My sister left to help fight and my mum and I stayed behind, then after the attack we all just settled down for the night and went to sleep." Poppy stated, glaring at Beth as Beth wrote down her answer in a small notebook.

"Have you seen anything suspicious lately?" Beth looked up then, and blinked with shock at the girl's hard stare.

Poppy thought about the previous week. "Not really, I guess some people are acting a little different, but one person does give me the creeps though."

"Who, sweety?" concern clear in Beth's voice, disguising the puzzlement still flickering around her mind in regards to the hard stare that she had gotten from Poppy.

"A man from Woodbury, his name is Derek." Beth recognised the name, the man was odd, and he kept to himself and didn't really pull his own weight.

"I'll talk to him, thank you Poppy." Beth said reassuringly to the girl. Giving her a smile, Beth stood and walked off. She was determined to find this Derek and have a word with him.

"Hey, Sasha, will you help me talk to a guy called Derek?" she asked as she approached the woman, she trusted Sasha and felt safe around her.

"I can do it alone if you'd like? I know how odd he is." Sasha said smiling at Beth, Sasha understood Beth didn't like going near the man alone, or anyone new from Woodbury for that matter, Beth was a little shy around all the new comers.

"Um, I'll come. Rick wanted me to ask people about last night anyway, even though he's not on my list. I just don't want to ask him alone, it's just he's a little creepy is all." She said smiling sheepishly at the ground.

"Okay come on." Sasha said wiping her hands on a rag, she had been helping with reinforcing the fences and it wasn't exactly a clean or easy job, and she was thankful for the distraction.

They found Derek in his cell; he was one of the few people who had their own cell. Beth thought it was because he was so scary nobody wanted to bunk with him. Sasha knew him from her time at Woodbury, and she didn't trust him in the slightest, he had never been respectful to anyone and only seemed to listen to the Governor, so her suspicions had immediately fallen on him when they had been told it was most probably sabotage that had caused the breach in the fencing.

"Derek?" Sasha asked, staring hard at the man. He lifted his head from the pillow, staring at the two women before him.

"Well, hello ladies!" he said with a grin that gave Beth a sick feeling.

"We need to ask you questions." Beth said, hoping her voice didn't betray her.

"What about?" his defences were up, Sasha gave him a look and leaned against the wall her stare never faltering.

"Last night. Where were you before, during and after the attack?" Sasha said taking control of the situation.

"Well, I was here before, after and during." He said narrowing his eyes, "why you askin' anyway?"

"We are just making sure nobody pulled a fast one and breached the fences from inside." Sasha said her voice level.

"Well it ain't me." he said standing up.

"See an innocent man wouldn't have to tell us it wasn't him." Sasha commented pushing off the wall and squaring her shoulders, knowing the man was trying to intimidate them.

"Yeah well I'm innocent. Now get out of my cell!" he yelled anger clear in his eyes.

"No, you see, I think you know something, so why don't you just sit the hell back down and we can discuss this." Sasha said her voice never faltering from the calm tone, she could see that with her not rising to the bait and shouting back she was getting under his skin and she couldn't help the smug feeling she got.

"Fuck you! I don't know shit about this you little bitch!" he yelled advancing towards her; Beth took in the commotion before her, her eyes wide with fear.

"Hey! Sit down, or I will make you sit down." Sasha commanded taking a step towards the man. Before Beth or Sasha could react Derek slapped Sasha across the face. Sasha grunted at the contact before recovering, she drew her gun and pointed it at the man.

"Sit the hell down." Sasha said clicking the safety off her gun. Derek sat down, glaring at her.

"Beth, go get Rick." Sasha said giving the girl a reassuring smile, before turning back to Derek, she looked him over, his dark hair was greasy and stuck to his head, he was a weed of a man, he didn't exactly look like he could win in a fight, but she wasn't going to take any chances. She stood keeping him at gun point until Beth returned with Rick and Daryl in tow.

"What is going on here?" Rick asked calmly, taking in the situation.

"We came in to ask him the same questions we have been asking everyone, and well, he seemed to take offence." Sasha said her gun still trained on the greasy man.

"Well, you can lower your gun now;" Rick motioned to Sasha with his hand. "So Derek, what did Sasha ask that made you flip out like that?" He asked taking a step closer to the man, weighing up the threat.

"She accused me of being the one to breach the fence!" Derek spat.

"Sasha, do you mind taking Beth back to C block? Me and Daryl will take care of this?" Rick said smiling at her.

"Sure." Sasha said, leaving with Beth. Daryl stepped into the previously crowded cell, a scowl on his face. He didn't trust anyone from Woodbury, and this guy was no exception.

"Did ya hit Sasha?" he asked, keeping his voice steady even though he was just about ready to rip the man in half.

"Yeah, the bitch was out of line." Said a smirking Derek in answer to Daryl's question, "I'm sure you'd understand. You seem like the type." Daryl saw red, how dare this pathetic excuse for a man make that type of presumption. He lunged at the man, his fist connecting with the man's jaw, a satisfying crack echoed in the silent cell. Rick tore Daryl off of him.

"Daryl, you need to calm down! We are gonna take him to one of the solitary cells and keep him there for questioning okay!" Rick shouted, trying to get through to a raging Daryl, he thought his words had fallen on deaf ears but Daryl grabbed the man and shoved him out of the cell, escorting him to the solitary cells, the man's feet hardly touched the ground, he was then thrown unceremoniously deep within the tombs.

~T~

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make!" Rick said as dinner drew to a close. "From now, until further notice, the tombs are off limits to everyone but me, Daryl, Glenn and Tyreese. We have a suspect down there, and do not want anyone getting hurt." Rick sat back down and waited for the onslaught of questions but none came, everyone had gathered from Derek's absence that it was him.

~T~

Carol was washing the dishes, Beth had offered to help but she had sent the younger woman away, she preferred doing it alone, it gave her time to think, breathe and unwind from the day, yes she was technically still on the clock, but she didn't mind, anytime alone was time she cherished.

"So, you think Daryl _really_ wants you?" Carol froze, Lisa! Daryl had told her about Lisa's threat, but she had brushed it off, she didn't think the girl would act on it, she still didn't, but she still froze at the sound of Lisa's voice. Carol turned looking at the girl, of course Lisa wasn't alone, she had her two little minions attached to her hip, and they snickered at Lisa's comment.

"Yes, I_ really_ do." Carol said, she didn't have time for this, she was tired and all she wanted to do was go to bed.

"Well, I think he is only with you because he thinks it's his duty, you latched yourself onto him, and he doesn't have the heart to tell you he doesn't want you. So I figured I'd do it myself. So listen clearly you old hag. Daryl. Doesn't. Want. You." Her tagalongs laughed as she smirked at Carol. Carol threw down the towel she was using to dry her hands; she closed the distance between them and glared at the younger woman.

"Firstly, I haven't latched myself onto anyone, unlike you I'm able to pull my own weight and look after myself, and secondly, you don't know the first thing about Daryl, how could you, but just to be sure I'll tell you this, he isn't into little skanks like you. Lastly I am not an old hag, so why don't you run along with your little friends and go bother someone who gives shit because I sure don't?" Carol crossed her arms across her chest. Lisa laughed at her and before Carol could react Lisa slapped her across the face. It was nothing compared to what she had been through with Ed, but it still stung, more from shock than anything else. Carol saw red, she hadn't been hit in so long and was damned if she would allow that to be done to her again. She wasn't about to let some little girl get away with it either, those days were over. Michonne had been teaching Carol how to fight and she was getting pretty good at it. She punched Lisa square in the nose, the girl dropped like a stone. Carol scoffed as the two followers crouched next to an unconscious Lisa.

~T~

Daryl had seen Lisa slap Carol but before he could react, Carol punched her on the nose. He was so proud, he knew she could hold her own, and she really was a good fighter. He entered the room and made a beeline for Carol. She was shaking and panting when he reached her.

"Carol." he whispered, she spun around looking up at him, he saw Lisa sit up and smile at him. He wrapped his arms around carol and hugged her, lifting her off the ground. He lowered her, kissing her passionately, he felt her fingers in his hair and smiled against her lips she was truly amazing. He pulled away and glared at Lisa.

"This here is my woman, and if I ever see you near her, or doing what you just did, I won't think twice about killing you. Hell I'd kill you now, but I think it would be a waste of time, and I reckon you should go put some ice on that thing." A smiling Daryl said, hugging Carol closer.

Carol smiled walking out with Daryl, she could feel Lisa's eyes on her but she didn't care, he was hers and that was all that mattered, she felt vindicated and greatly loved, sheltered by his arms.

Daryl smiled at carol as she got into bed. He loved falling asleep with her in his arms. It was then that he knew she was safe.

"Daryl what's going on?" she said as she snuggled into his chest.

"What do you mean?" he asked rubbing her back softly.

"With Derek, do you think he did it?"

"I don't know, we're going to question him some more tomorrow, but right now he isn't giving us much, he doesn't answer a lot of the questions, and those he does answer, well you don't know whether he's telling the truth or not." Daryl said, his brow furrowed, he wasn't convinced the man was innocent.

"Well, I hope you find something out soon." Carol said sighing heavily. "So do I." He said as he kissed the top of her head. He drifted off to sleep easily, wrapped in the warmth of Carols embrace.

~T~

"Tell us what you know." Rick said. Derek looked up at him. He had a busted lip and a large bruise on the left side of his face.

"Go to hell." Derek said, staring at Rick. They had been trying for the best part of a day to get answers out of him but he wouldn't spill anything. There was a knock at the door and Daryl stepped inside.

"It's my turn." Daryl said glaring down at Derek. Rick turned, looking at Daryl, he could see the hunter was itching to get started; he was the one they went to if they needed answers from someone.

"Okay, I'll be outside if you need me." Rick said leaving Daryl and Derek alone inside.

"So did you do it?" Daryl asked staring down at the man who was still lying on the bunk.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." Derek said sitting up, he knew Daryl had a short fuse, so he would enjoy getting under his skin. Daryl sighed. He knew what this asshole was trying to do.

"Fine, but till you tell us the truth, you aren't getting out of here, hell, we may even rig a walker up in here, just to scare you into telling us." Daryl leaned against the wall staring at the man, he saw an emotion wash over the man's face at the suggestion of a walker. _He_ _was scared_.

"So, you going to cooperate?" he asked after a long silence.

"Yes."

"So why did you do it?" Daryl asked never taking his eyes off the man.

"Because you people deserved it! I just wish more fell that night." Daryl was shocked. He grabbed the man by the shirt and slammed him into the wall.

"You sick fuck!" He yelled at Derek. Daryl punched him in the side, feeling one of his ribs crack under the pressure of his fist.

"Daryl! Enough, we got the confession!" Rick shouted as he and Tyreese burst into the room.

"What do you want to do with him?" Tyreese asked, watching Rick calm Daryl down.

"I say we kill him, he put us all in danger he deserves it!" Daryl said through gritted teeth.

"We can't just do that, we need to have a vote, ask everyone what we should do." Rick said, he knew it wasn't what Daryl wanted to hear but it was for the best.

~T~

Everyone gathered in the yard as Rick discussed the options they could vote for, they had decided on either death or exile. Many had chosen death but the majority went with exile.

"Derek, you are to be given basic supplies and driven to a designated location. You leave tomorrow." Derek nodded, he was glad he wouldn't be killed but he wasn't ecstatic about being left alone somewhere either, but maybe he could find the governor and that made him hopeful.

The next day Rick and Tyreese drove Derek out, they drove for what seemed like hours. Derek was blindfolded so that he couldn't return. Rick pulled the car to a stop outside a small abandoned town. They left Derek with instructions to only remove the blindfold once he could no longer hear the car. He was on his own now and he would have to try and make it on his own.

The drive back to the prison was quiet, but Tyreese and Rick didn't mind, they enjoyed the silence. They were both glad that the prison was once more a safe haven for everyone within the walls.


	2. I've Found You

_A/N: hello, sorry about being absent, I've been super busy but I will, hopefully, be updating more regularly now. I will update whenever possible, but I'm back at school, so busy times are ahead for me : ) This chapter goes back to season 2, so I hope you enjoy it! ~ Claire xx_

_I don't own The Walking Dead._

**I've Found You…**

"Sophia!" Daryl shouted, his voice resonating into the unhearing and answerless forest. He wished he would hear a reply, but it had been hours, and still no sign that the little girl was anywhere near where he was searching. Yes, he could still see her tracks, but he didn't know how far she might have gone and the thought of not finding her hit him hard. Sophia had grown on him since the quarry and the CDC, both she and her momma had.

"Sophia!" he continued to shout, willing his voice to be louder. "Come on girl" he whispered through gritted, frustrated and scared teeth as he looked down at the forest floor as if willing her to appear in front of him, he knew how scared she must be, and it would be dark soon. The woods were just as dangerous at night as they were during the day, and Sophia had already spent one night in them, all alone, this was as bad as it got, especially for someone so young. Daryl was feeling helpless right now, and he didn't like it, not one bit, goddammit!

"Daryl?!" it was the sound of a soft scared voice. He heard it, but did he dare to believe it? It was like a whisper on the wind. Sophia was close. Daryl's heart began to pound in his ears. He turned in a slow circle looking for any trace of her, hoping beyond hope that he hadn't imagined the whisper. He noticed a blur of blond in the distance. He had to believe it was her.

"Sophia, stay where you are!" he commanded, his voice seemed to echo off the trees, he hoped his loud voice hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. He moved towards where he thought she was, hoping and praying it was her.

"Daryl, I'm scared!" she shouted back. He could hear the fear in her voice and he didn't blame her, the woods might be _his_ escape, but for some it was like walking straight into a scene from a horror movie, especially now, in this walker ridden world that they lived in.

"I know Sophia, just stay put! I'll get ya!" he said calmly and confidently, hoping she would feel better if she thought he wasn't worried, but if he had any chance of getting her he had better move now, and fast, walkers may have heard them.

~T~

Sophia had been running for what seemed like hours. She had no idea of how long she'd been in the forest, she just knew that she could hardly put one foot in front of the other.

Mr Grimes had once told her to keep the sun at her left shoulder if she ever got lost. She'd tried, but with the sun fading faster than she'd ever seen before, she'd begun running blindly with panic.

Why hadn't Mr Grimes just shot the walkers? Why had he left her? Lots of questions had been racing through her mind as she ran. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it would jump right out of her chest, and she knew if she had any chance of getting back safe she had to clear her mind and focus on where she was. She just hoped someone was out looking for her.

She'd heard the shout of a familiar voice, but she wasn't sure who it was and if it was even her name they were shouting. She knew she had to try and breathe slower so her heart would stop pounding, then she would be able to hear properly, plus, she didn't know whether it was real or in her mind. She had answered the shouts because she didn't have anything to lose at this point.

To her shock, _he_, had replied, the man she was once afraid of, the man who'd kept to himself along with his scary and loud brother, _Daryl_ was the one out here looking for her, and, had found her.

Ever since he'd tragically lost merle, Daryl had become more involved within the group. He had gravitated towards her and her mom. He made them feel safe. Sophia knew to be careful, and not trust him straight away, but here he was, in the woods looking for her.

"Daryl! You found me!" she beamed. She stared at him as he broke through the clearing, he looked dirty and smelt funny, but she was used to that, and at that moment she felt safe, he was there for her and that made him her hero. Sophia launched herself at Daryl wrapping her arms around his waist, she knew by the way he stiffened that he wasn't used to, or expecting the hug, and to her surprise he awkwardly patted her on her back.

"Yeah I did! What did ya think I meant when I said I would get ya?" his voice unsteady, a smile playing at his lips.

"I guess I didn't think I would be found that's all…" she said, avoiding his gaze.

He remembered thinking that way too when he was younger, but his reasons were very different. It wasn't like anybody was actually looking for him when he got lost or ran away, and if they were it was only so he'd get another beating, but that was his childhood. With Sophia it was different, she should have kept on hoping that someone would find her, she was loved very much by everyone, but he supposed she was just so afraid, and when you're afraid you really don't think that clearly.

"Hey now, I would look for ya no matter what, ain't nobody getting lost from running off or left behind on my watch!" that made her smile, she knew Daryl was a really good man. She took a step back and looked at him, he was rough around the edges but that was to be expected, he had led a very tough life, he was a gentle giant, Daryl acted all tough, but had the biggest softest heart she knew.

"You smell funny, and you're all dirty." Sophia smiled. Daryl faked a look of offence. "Well, you're one to talk! Ya got leaves and twigs in ya hair." "Come on, it's getting real dark, best get you back to your momma."

The walk back to the highway was shorter than expected, maybe because Daryl had spent quite a lot of time carrying her and making her eat and drink. As they approached the highway, something felt off, the only people there were Dale and T-Dog.

"Where is everyone?" Daryl asked as they approached. The two men were sat against the side of the RV.

"Went to some farm, something happened to Carl." Dale answered, his tone playing down the seriousness of the situation, for Sophia's sake, but Daryl knew something was very wrong.

Sophia looked from Dale to Daryl, trying to read their expressions. Daryl raised his eyebrows at Dale and turned to T-Dog "what happened?"

"Well, Carl, Shane and Rick were out searching for Sophia and they came across a deer in the clearing a shot rang out and Carl dropped. We ain't sure what happened after that." T-Dog's gaze shifted from Daryl to Sophia.

"Well Sophia's back safe! So I guess if one miracle can happen today then another one can too!" Dale beamed, "Come on, I bet your mom can't wait to see you!"

"Why isn't she here?" Daryl asked, his voice taking on a strange edge that Sophia hadn't heard before. Sophia's mind was racing and she wanted to know how Carl was, she was terrified that he would die, she wanted to see him and her mom, but she was on edge because of Daryl's tone.

"She was getting hysterical, so Glenn and Andrea took her to the farm, it took them long to convince her to go, but eventually they got it through to her that if she wore herself out, she wouldn't be at her best for when Sophia returned." Dale explained from the doorway of the RV.

"Oh, okay", Daryl nodded, the tone gone from his voice, much to Sophia's relief. "Sophia you ride in the RV, and I'll take the bike." he said, gently directing Sophia towards the RV.

~T~

Carol paced back and forth on the Greene families porch, she was so worried, and she should never have left the highway. Why had she? Her little girl was out there alone, scared and she had left the only place Sophia knew to return to. "Oh God, please help me, bring my baby girl back safe!" she prayed silently. Daryl was out there searching; she had faith that he would never give up looking.

The roar of Daryl's bike followed by the RV ripped her from her thoughts, Daryl looked grim, but he always did when he was on his bike, almost as though all his bad memories were projected onto his face. His eyes met hers as he drew closer, she was sure a tiny smile played on his lips, but she couldn't be sure. This gave her hope, could she dare hope, maybe he had found her, maybe he was close? She ran down the porch steps towards him, she didn't realise that she was holding her breath, she'd held it since she first heard his bike, running to him, her eyes searching his, hoping, pleading, when she reached him she let her breath go and sucked in much welcome air, she felt light headed, she was anxious, desperate for any news on Sophia. "Daryl, have you….."she couldn't speak, there was a look in his eyes, what? What was happening?

"Momma!" Carol whirled round towards the RV, her knees buckling under her, could it be, is it really "oh thank you God, thank you" Carol stared into her little girls eyes, she got up from where she had collapsed, her eyes never leaving Sophia's, and ran, ran toward her Angel, Sophia, scooping her up in her arms, kissing her on her cheeks and forehead, they were both sobbing now, just so happy and relieved, even more than that, words couldn't explain what they felt, they just hugged and cried and hugged some more.

Carol turned towards Daryl, Sophia still clasped tight in her arms. She smiled at him and mouthed the words "Thank you." as the tears ran down her cheeks. Sophia had whispered to her mom, between sobs of joy that Daryl had found her. Daryl gave a stiff nod and walked towards the others who had gathered to see, wheeling the motorbike next to him.

"Oh momma, I was so scared! But Daryl found me! He saved me momma!" Sophia said again and again, Carol knew her daughter was in shock and was happy to be in her mother's arms, and what she was saying comforted her, so Carol just soothed her with "I know baby, everything is ok now". This soothed Sophia and after a while she stopped sobbing and just held on to her mom. Carol couldn't describe how she felt, but it was good, and even with all the horrible things going on around them, in that moment all was good. Carol knew she would soon have to take Sophia to Carl, she needed to see her best friend and Carol needed to dress his wound, but she would just enjoy this moment a little longer.

"Momma, how will I repay him?" Sophia asked, a serious look clouding her girlish features. "I'm not sure Sweety. Maybe you could draw him a picture, I'm sure he would love it" the smile never faltering from her face.

"Okay, I will. . . Momma, how is Carl?" Carol was stunned. "Momma I know he was shot" Carol looked at Sophia and saw the strain on her daughter's face, how was she going to tell her that her best friend still hadn't woken up?

"Well, honey. . . Carl got shot in the stomach, the nice man who owns this farm, Hershel hasn't got all the bullets out and Carl is still unconscious, he's lost a lot of blood sweetie. Try not to worry, Shane and a man called Otis have gone out for the medical supplies that Hershel needs for Carl" the blood drained from Sophia's face, Carol could see the fear and worry in her daughters eyes which were full with unshed tears. "Oh momma. . ." Sophia sobbed, the tears finally falling down her pale face. "Can I see him when he wakes up?" "I'm sure you can, but first I think you should get cleaned up" smiling at her daughter she took a cloth and wiped her pale tear stained face. ~T~

Shane and Otis returned that evening exhausted. They hadn't found any medical supplies at the school. Disappointment was clear on both their faces. Hershel announced that he would extract the bullets as best he could without the supplies, it would be risky, but, it had to be done. Carol could assist him, she had done a fantastic job with the cleaning of Carls wound and the bandaging. Carl had woken earlier in the evening, not remembering what had happened. He was shocked to see his stomach swathed in bandages, his eyes searched for his dads, when he found them he looked at his dad confused. Rick told him what had happened and that they needed to operate on him again. Carl couldn't believe it he was supposed to be out looking for his best friend Sophia!

"Is Sophia here? Has she been found?" this time he looked to his mom for answers, Lori hadn't left his bedside since she arrived on the farm.

"Yes, she's been found and is okay and can't wait to see you! Are you up to it, do you want to see her?"

"Yes!" Carl beamed from ear to ear, he didn't care about the pain he was feeling, he just wanted to see her, wow! He was so glad she was back safe and sound. He had missed her so much, he had been sick to his stomach with worry when she'd gone missing, they were the fearless duo, they could conquer all, they shared so many fun times in this shitty world, it would and could not be the same without Sophia. He couldn't wait to see her.

"Okay, I'll go get her." Lori left with a smile on her face, she was glad that he had such a good friend, Sophia would help him get through this, she knew they meant the world to each other, the fearless duo, and she was sure that their friendship would become even stronger now. They were both so young and had been through so much.

~T~

Sophia ran up the stairs, she couldn't believe he was awake, she had been so worried and now he was awake! She had so much to tell him about what had happened out in the woods, about how Daryl had saved her.

"Carl!" she exclaimed as she burst through the door, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw his pale face and all the bandages, then again he was awake so that could only be a good thing. She smiled widely at him.

"Sophia! I can't believe this!" he beamed, he was so happy to see her.

"We have so much to talk about!" Sophia chimed, climbing onto the bed next to him; she sat with her legs crossed. "So, how are you feeling? Can you feel the bullets rattling around in your tummy, can you eat anything yet, are they going to take the bullets out or leave them in, we could give you a cool nick name like Ammo Man, I could be Survival Woman, cool hey?" She stopped only briefly for breath "I was out in the woods, all night, running, I barely slept! Then something amazing happened! Daryl found me! And he brought me back safe. My momma was so happy to see me! Carl have you noticed how her and Daryl share sorta long glances?" she was speaking at lightning speed as if on a sugar high, jumping from one thing to the next and then back again, her eyes glazed over, she was deep in thought and she hadn't even given him a chance to answer one question, what the hell! Maybe she got bit by a rabid rabies ridden rabbit in the woods, he laughed at the thought of it, he tried to be serious when he caught her looking at him with a sting of pink on her cheeks, so he gave her a perplexed look, and she returned the favour, he smiled slightly at her and she ruffled his hair.

"Um, I guess not, I don't really pay attention to the grownups with their wishy, washy, smoochy faces." At this remark they looked at each other and burst into hysterical laughter.

What does it matter anyway?" Carl was able to ask when they had finally stopped laughing. He was confused, what was going on in Sophia's mind? He wanted to ask, but she continued before he could.

"I think they like each other, but they just don't know how to make their feelings known. I mean, I get why they might not want to, I mean, they have both had really bad lives and they are probably afraid of the . . . of the love they could offer each other!" she was quite proud of herself for figuring this out. Her smile grew larger as she spoke, she really did believe this.

"Sophia, I don't think it's like that." Carl sighed. Sophia was such a girl sometimes! Love and kisses, he preferred it when they talked about the grownups in a teasing way not a serious way.

"It is, Carl! And, I'm going to be a Dixon soon! Just you watch!" Carl smiled, he knew Sophia always had a very hopeful outlook, but he was afraid it might hurt her one day.

"Okay Sophia, but you gotta be careful, don't get too hopeful okay?" Sophia nodded, she would be careful, but she did think Carl was losing his mind if he didn't think something was going on between the two love sick adults.

"So, you got shot hey?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah, apparently I'm a deer, oh, Sophia you should have seen it. Its fur was perfect, its eyes were sparkling it was really beauti—." Sophia looked up in horror as Carl's body began to convulse violently. Sophia responded quickly, shooting out of the room and shouting down the hall for help, hoping someone heard her, luckily, everyone did.

Hershel rushed into the room followed by Shane, Rick and Lori. Shane grabbed Sophia by the arm, hard, and pulled her from the room, shoving her roughly.

"I think you should go find your momma. This isn't exactly your place." He snarled. Sophia glared at the man, she had never liked him, and always got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach when she was around him, she turned with a huff and left, rubbing her arm and muttering to herself under her breath, who was he to decide where her place was. He wasn't her father, even though he had just treated her the same way that her father had.

~T~

Shane couldn't believe the cheek of the girl, she would usually just take the order and leave, but now, she was glaring at him and muttering things under her breath, something had changed and he had a feeling it had something to do with that redneck son of a bitch, Daryl. Rick had begun turning to him instead of Shane lately.

He needed to find Carol, tell her about how her precious little girl had lost her manners, Carol would listen, she was easy to get through to, she was like putty, easy to manipulate, he thought to himself nastily.

"Hey carol!" he called to the woman, she was cutting up vegetables near the fire pit at the centre of their camp on the Greene's lawn.

"Hey, Shane, what can I do for you?" Carol said with a bright smile, she had a spring in her step now that Sophia was back.

"Well, I was hoping I could talk to you about something concerning Sophia?" he stood on the other side of the small camping table she was stood by.

"Um, okay, sure what is it?" Carol had stopped chopping but didn't put the knife down; she stared hard at Shane, not entirely trusting the man. There was something off about him, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something.

"Well ya see, I think she needs to learn her manners again, she used to have 'em, but she don't anymore, they seem to have disappeared since the quarry, I think you should teach her them again." Carol was stunned, how dare he, and to bring such a petty thing up now, especially since she had only just been found! Sophia hadn't changed a bit, she was still the kind and respectful girl she always had been, if anything she had come out of her shell a little bit more since her father had died. The cheek of this guy was unbelievable, what the hell!

"Well Shane, I think you can take that comment and shove it, my little girl is perfectly fine, and she hasn't changed a bit. Maybe if you showed her a little respect she would show you some." Carol said, slamming the knife, point end down into the wooden chopping board.

"You fucker!" Daryl yelled from a few feet away, Carol spun around to see him, making his way towards Shane, with wide, purposeful strides, he had a wild look in his eyes, the same look that she had seen only once before, when Merle had been left on that roof. "Oh shit" she thought.

"Daryl, what's going on?" the worry clear in her voice.

"You touch that little girl again, and I will fucking kill you!" Daryl shouted at Shane as he advanced towards the man. Carol felt fear wrap around her stomach, how had Shane touched her? As though in answer to her question, Daryl continued, "I saw the bruise on her arm! You grab her again, you even touch her again, or look at her, I will fucking kill you, do you understand me?" with that, Daryl's right fist connected with Shane's jaw, and carol heard a sickening crunch. His left fist connected with Shanes ribs, Shane didn't even have chance to defend himself, that's how fast the punches were, but then again Shane had seen and heard Daryl coming, he could have readied himself for a fight, maybe he thought Daryl was all talk, or maybe Shane only liked to bully little girls and probably defenceless women, and didn't like to fight real men. That's what she couldn't put her finger on! He was a coward who bullied. Carol didn't know what to do, but she knew one thing for sure, she wasn't going to stop Daryl from giving him a good whooping'. Shane had hurt her little girl, and Daryl had seen the bruise, how come she hadn't?

After a while Carol decided it was time for this to end, Shane was pathetic "Daryl, stop!" she commanded, he threw Shane to the ground and gave him one last kick to the thigh, he turned towards Carol, the look of rage dissipated from his eyes. "Carol he bruised her, on her arm! If you ask me he deserved this." Daryl felt as if his demons had taken over, but he could not and would not stand by and allow a grown man to hurt a child. Carol looked into his eyes and nodded, she believed him. She walked over to Shane and crouched down, staring at the blood trickling down from his now broken nose.

"You ever touch my daughter again, and I will kill you, you won't have to worry about Daryl he will be the least of your problems. You pig. You are a son of a bitch!"

She stood and walked away, her task of cutting up vegetables forgotten, she couldn't do it now, she was too angry. Tears slipped down her face as she walked towards the stable. She could hear Daryl's footsteps following her, but she didn't care, she was too furious and ashamed to care.

"I can't believe I didn't see it! She's my little girl, how could I not have seen it!" she cried out into the night air. She threw herself on the ground and hit out at the hay covered floor, she then got into a sitting position, pulling her knees in tight to her chest, and burying her head on her knees.

"Hey" Daryl said from where he was standing, just across from her, "I only saw it coz she was reaching for something and her sleeve fell." Daryl attempted to make her feel better, he wasn't sure how to comfort a crying woman but he was going to try his best.

"Thank you Daryl, for everything, I could never repay you!" she said, meeting his eyes, she smiled through her tears, he had always thought she was beautiful but now she not only looked beautiful she looked like the strong woman he knew she was.

"Ya don't have to repay me. It ain't anything anyone else here wouldn't have done."

"Yes, but you did it! And that makes you a whole lot better than most of them. You are a man of honour, a good man and you better not forget it." He was sitting next to her now, she could feel the heat from his body next to hers, and was comforted by it. Carol leaned over and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Daryl stiffened, but didn't bolt out of the stable. Instead he turned to her. "I won't." he looked into her blue eyes; they had a new sparkle in them, like her life had light in it again. He took a leap of faith and kissed her softly, stunned by his own actions, he moved away muttering an apology.

Carol was in shock; Daryl Dixon had just kissed her. Did it mean something? She wasn't sure but her lips still tingled from the light touch. She turned her body toward him; he was looking away, as though he was looking for an out.

"Daryl?" she whispered, but to him it sounded much louder, her voice pierced through the pounding in his ears.

"Yes." He said, turning to her. She responded by cupping his face in her hands and kissing him softly, it all happened so fast, he didn't know what was happening until her lips were on his. Something in him came alive, he was tingling, he had never felt like this, ever, and he didn't want it to end, this small, strong woman had his heart in her hands, and he didn't mind, no ma'am not one bit. He increased the pressure of his lips on hers slightly and she didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, Momma" Sophia stood by the stable door. She had seen the kiss and couldn't help the smile that now covered her face. She had the picture in her hand that she had drawn for Daryl. She had been searching for him when she had heard her momma's voice.

Carol jerked away from Daryl, and stared at her little girl, the blood throbbing in her cheeks and neck, "Yes, Sophia?" she said hoarsely, trying to look calm and innocent. Daryl couldn't help but chuckle, he was shocked about the kiss, but Carol trying to act innocent was a funny sight.

"I was looking for Mr . . . Um Daryl, and I heard your voice and came to ask if you knew where he was. But he's here so I guess I found him. . . Here you go." Sophia smiled shyly as she walked towards them, her arm outstretched; in her hand was a piece of paper. Daryl took it from her gently, smiling at her. He looked down at the picture and the smile grew, he'd never had someone draw him a picture before.

"It's you with your crossbow!" She exclaimed, and he beamed as he looked up at her.

"Wow, this is great Sophia! I love it! You're a good artist!" he said, standing up and wrapping an arm around her, she was shocked by the hug but returned it. Carol stood and smiled at them, she knew then that Daryl was a good edition to their little family.

~T~

Sophia stared at the girls across from her. Maggie and Beth, both great girl's, they treated Sophia like an adult, not like a child. They had talked to her for hours, about all sorts of fun and interesting things, they treated her like their little adopted sister and she really did like them a lot. She believed that the people on the Greene farm would be brilliant additions to their group. And the way Glenn and Maggie looked at each other, well, there was no doubt in Sophia's mind that something was going on between them, she would have to tell Carl, she smiled to herself at the thought of Carl's face when she spoke to him about lovey, dovey stuff.

"Shane's leaving the group." Rick announced suddenly, he had gathered them all to come to a group meeting ten minutes ago and hadn't spoken until now.

"What?" Lori said, shock clear in her voice. Sophia looked at the woman, she had seen her and Shane around the camp, before, and after Rick had arrived, and they didn't act normal, they acted like they were hiding something, but Sophia didn't really know what to think, grownup stuff was so complicated sometimes.

"He doesn't want to remain part of the group, he feels like an outsider and want's to try for Fort Benning. Any of you who would like to accompany him are welcome to, you will be given enough supplies to last you a week. Those of you would like to go with Shane, raise your hand now." Not one person raised a hand. Rick stared at Lori, he could see her mind racing, weighing up the pros and cons, damn, he couldn't believe it, she was actually trying to figure out which one of them to choose between, but she seemed to settle with staying. Rick felt as though something had torn his heart from his chest, he had had his suspicions about his wife and Shane, but had dismissed them, he didn't actually think there was anything between them, that is, until now.

"Okay then, he will leave in the morning." Rick stated and left the room.

~T~

The next morning Shane left, it had been a tense departure. Once he left everyone went back to their daily tasks.

Rick felt as though a small weight had been lifted from his chest and everyone could see it. But Lori looked grim, she hadn't spoken to anyone since last night, and her hug goodbye with Shane seemed to last a little bit too long, everyone had noticed and felt uneasy about it.

"I'm glad he's gone." Carol said to Maggie as they washed and dried dishes.

"So am I, I mean I don't really know ya'll but he seemed like a bad guy." Maggie said as she dried a pot.

"He became a bad guy. He could have stayed good, he was once, but something clicked in his head and he hasn't been the same since, and none of us know what clicked, he and Rick were Police partners before all hell on earth broke loose." Carol said remembering the time Shane had stood up to Ed, for her and Sophia.

"I suppose, but if you ask me, he deserved getting beat on by Daryl." Maggie said with a smile.

"I know he did." Carol said with a smile.

~T~

"Carl! You won't believe what happened!" Sophia squealed, as she sat in her usual spot on the bed next to Carl. She had been making a point of coming to see him and talking to him every day and telling him all the latest gossip, especially since he still had a while of bed rest ahead of him after the operation he just survived.

"What happened? I know Shane left. That isn't fresh news or fresh gossip to me" he said, looking at her and smiling mischievously.

"No I don't care about Shane leaving. I didn't like him anyway. No, this is better! Much better! I caught my mom and Daryl kissing!" she was clapping her hands excitedly now. Carl rolled his eyes at the news.

"What? No way!" He was ignoring Sophia's hatred for Shane.

"Yup, in the stables! I told you I would be a Dixon soon! Didn't I!" she said smiling from ear to ear.

"I guess you were right, Sophia _Dixon_!" Carl said, emphasising the last word. Sophia giggled, she could definitely get used to being called Sophia Dixon.


	3. bromance

_A/N: Hello! This chapter goes out to OBrown, who, had his birthday recently and requested a Rick and Daryl 'bromance' chapter. I hope he enjoys this belated birthday Oneshot chapter, and of course, every one of you who reads this Oneshot too. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it! It's a very happy chapter :D ~ Claire xx_

_I don't own The Walking Dead._

They had been searching for so long to find their way back, three days had past. By now the group would be worried. They had most definitely sent out a search party to look for their leader and their hunter.

Daryl and Rick had gone on a run to collect much needed supplies, just an ordinary run. Well, as ordinary as anything could be in the aftermath of an apocalypse, but something had gone massively wrong.

All the nearby surrounding towns close to the prison had been picked clean; the group now had to venture further out for supplies. Each time a supply run was needed, regardless of who went on these runs it usually took about 24 hours.

The runs were becoming less frequent now, thanks to the small parcels of surprisingly fertile land inside the prison gates. The group had started to plant seedlings, and they were flourishing. This growth of new, fresh, vegetables and fruits touched everyone in the group's heart, maybe this was because it sprung new life, and just maybe, new hope.

Rick and Daryl were testing the waters of a new found town. They had the duty of making sure that it wasn't over run with walkers or aggressive humans. If it was, then they were to mark the town with bright blue spray paint and move on.

The town seemed virtually untouched, and eerily silent. Some stores had been scavenged, but on the face of it, it seemed that the scavenging had occurred back when the dead had first begun rising. It certainly didn't look as though there were any inhospitable humans around either.

Daryl and Rick exchanged a look; they hadn't found a place like this in over three months, wow! This was great! Especially now, because with the addition of extra mouths to feed, which had come in the form of the arrival of the Woodbury folk, a place like this was a Godsend.

"Can you believe this?" Rick beamed from ear to ear, he was so relieved, could it really be true, this was like an untapped goldmine these days, and this meant they wouldn't have to search again anytime soon. "Nah", Daryl replied with a sigh. "But, we gotta check this place out first, you never know," he winked at Rick, "maybe I will believe it and then I can put on the same goofy smile that you have on your face right now," Daryl said grinning at Rick, Rick punched Daryl's shoulder, "asshole" they both laughed. "Anyway don't go gettin too attached just yet okay?" Daryl said giving Rick a concerned look, he knew the man needed this to be the place, and so did he but he knew not to trust it until they'd searched it.

"Oh come on Daryl! I can dream!" Rick smiled; he was going to have a positive outlook on this town until it proved him wrong, that is if it proved him wrong. They were stood on the main road that cut through the middle of town. On either side were classically styled houses and small local stores. At the end of the main road was a large supermarket, this was the last place they would visit to collect supplies before they left; first though, they would search the houses, all of them, and the small stores checking for walkers first instead of supplies. This was the ritual they would have to do every time they returned, just in case a small group or herd had decided to settle there.

"Let's start on the right." Rick said gesturing to the cream coloured house with an overgrown lawn. Daryl gave him a stiff nod and followed him. That was when everything fell apart. They approached the silent house, gun and crossbow at the ready, their bodies rigid, taught with nerves, expecting anything.

Rick picked the lock and moved forward to enter the house, but the stench that slammed into them as soon as the door opened was so bad, that it assaulted their nostrils, causing them both to pull up their bandanas (which were secured around their necks), to cover their noses, it was like nothing they had ever experienced before, or ever wanted to experience again. They thought they would have become accustomed to all types of retched smells by now, but no, it seemed like each time they experienced it, it got a whole lot worse.

"Good Lord." Daryl breathed as he moved further into the house. Rick watched him, he really couldn't believe how strong the smell was, and how Daryl fearlessly entered regardless. Daryl went left and Rick went right, both armed and on guard, they had done this enough times to know the warning signs of walkers, and the smell of decomposition meant they were near, Rick and Daryl looked at each other, their eyes streaming from the acrid air, what the hell was this now?

Rick holstered his gun, drawing his knife instead. Quietly, he crept through the living room, scanning left to right, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, the living room was like any family living room, it had a nice rug, although it was spoilt now, big comfy couches and a television with a stack of DVD's on the cabinet to the right of it, and framed family photos adorned the walls.

Daryl found himself in what looked like a dining room, a small table stood in the middle of the room; four chairs lay on their sides, two of which were smashed to pieces. He couldn't imagine what had happened, had a loving father tried to protect his family? Had he succeeded? Was the smell, the smell of their bodies? He didn't know. He didn't see any bodies. He sure hoped the smell wasn't coming from the corpses of the last residents, because then, according to the horrific smell, they had been contaminated with something worse than the walker virus, (if there was something worse), and he and Rick were standing in the middle of it and breathing in whatever the hell it was.

"Daryl!" the sheer panic in Rick's voice was one Daryl hadn't heard in a long time. Leaving the dining room, Daryl ran to where Rick's voice had come from, as he neared he heard the groans getting louder; his blood ran cold, how many were there? It sounded like twenty maybe thirty walkers; he could hear Rick struggling against whatever it was.

Rounding the corner Daryl was met with a sight and smell he would need therapy to get over, in all the herds they had been caught in there had never been this kind of decomposition, the flesh on them had turned a dark brown and was starting to slide off their bones, there were completely starved ones on the floor who didn't have enough strength to move, the others stumbled over them trying to get to fresh prey.

"Rick! Run!" Daryl yelled above the moans, Rick turned, un-holstering his gun and shooting the walkers that were close by. He followed Daryl out of the room, the walkers hot on their heels. They burst out of the front door, causing splinters of wood and dust into the air. They both began spitting and rubbing at their eyes. As their vision cleared they could see that the noise had alerted the few walkers who were milling about on the street. The walkers seemed to turn and cock their heads at the same time, smelling their potential food. They started to close in on Rick and Daryl. Some were faster than others. Rick and Daryl took them down with ease. They were running now, desperate to get back to their car. The herd from inside the house were catching up to them, desperate moans rattled from their horrid mouths. The two men ran down the main road, the stench from the walkers assaulting their nostrils, sweat running down their faces, their clothes drenched. The air was stale and there was no breeze, both men gave the other a silent look of "let's get the fuck out of here as fast as we can." They both seemed to find the extra speed that they so desperately needed, and put at least a bit more distance between them and the walkers. The black car came into view and for the first time in what seemed like a long time, they both felt as though they may survive.

"Get in!" Rick shouted to Daryl, who had turned and shot at the walkers, he had switched from the crossbow to the gun while they had been running towards the car. Daryl ripped open the car door and threw himself into the driver's seat. He shouted and motioned frantically to Rick to get in the car; Rick barely made it into the car as Daryl slammed his foot onto the gas pedal, causing a massive dust cloud behind them, he drove towards the herd, making sure not to knock any of them down, because they could get stuck under the car and that would cause a whole new set of problems that they couldn't afford right now. (They only mowed walkers down when they were together with the whole group with a lot of cars, just in case any of the damn walkers bones splintered and burst a cars tyre, even if they did this and lost a car, they at least had back up for the drivers and a lot of walkers could be taken out at once with a move like that). Daryl made a quick U-turn and sped away from the town, looking back through the rear view mirror, he saw the walkers who just stood around, staring aimlessly with their vacant eyes.

They had not picked up any supplies and they both felt the sting of defeat, but that didn't stop them from screaming and hollering at the top of their voices at how they had just escaped one of the worst attacks ever!

"Damn those stupid, fucking, walkers!" Daryl hissed, hitting the steering wheel; they had needed the supplies, all necessary to the survival of the group and especially the babies. "Daryl, it's fine, I'm sure we will get the supplies we need, we just gotta find a new town. From what I can tell, according to this old map there should be a small town about twenty miles away from here." Rick said. He was pissed now too, but wouldn't show it. The air in the car had become tense, he hoped that this news would give his friend some hope, he knew how much Daryl cared about all the kids, he knew he was like this because he didn't want any kid to grow up like he had. "So, you and Carol seem to be getting close." Rick said with a smile, trying to ease the tension in the car. Daryl slammed on the breaks, causing Rick to lurch forward in his seat. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Daryl asked, glaring at Rick.

"Oh come on! Daryl you are obviously madly in love with her!" Rick said, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

"Shut ya mouth, and stop actin' like a teenage girl!" Daryl laughed as he felt his heart racing, _had it really been that obvious?_ Daryl thought, _surely not?_ "You just saying that cos you think nobody has noticed how you look at Michonne!" Daryl hit back playfully. Both men now sat quietly, deep in thought, as they headed onto the next town, the tension in the air seemed lighter.

~T~

They hadn't found the small town, and both men were beginning to lose hope, they had gone around and around in circles and they were now lost. They blamed each other because they were lost. To say the least they bickered like an old married couple.

"You got us lost Daryl," Rick said through gritted teeth as they unpacked their tents, setting up camp just inside the treeline. "What do you mean?" Daryl shot back. "Really, Daryl, you don't know?" "While I was reading the map, you ignored my directions, because, and I quote "I'm using my internal compass" instead of listening to me, the one with the actual map!"

"Rick, you said, I know Georgia like the back of my hand." Rick said, mimicking Daryl's voice. Daryl was fuming; if Rick had been anyone else he would have hit him square in the jaw.

"Well I ain't the one who had the map upside down and only realised it once we got out the fuckin' car!" Daryl yelled throwing another piece of wood onto the low burning fire, (which they had started first, before they had unpacked the tents), sparks from the fire danced up into the black night sky.

"Whatever." Rick sighed.

"Yeah", Daryl retorted. "Whatever." The rest of the night was spent with the two men occasionally glaring at each other and not speaking.

The bright light of morning woke Daryl up, and he immediately started to pack up his stuff. He walked over to where Rick was fast asleep. "Hey, Rick, come on, get the hell up, ya lazy bastard." Daryl said, smiling as he kicked Rick's leg repeatedly, playfully and irritatingly. Rick grunted turning away from him, wishing he would just piss off, but it didn't help, there was no stopping the hunter. Daryl ripped the thin pillow from under Ricks head and laughed as his head hit the ground with a loud thud. Rick woke with a start, and a grunt escaped his mouth, he lashed out to hit Daryl, "what the fuck, you can't just wake people up like that, you mad man" Rick yelled "I could've had a heart attack" Rick tried again to lash out and hit Daryl, but he was too slow and disorientated and missed. "You little shit" Rick said, looking at the man through eyes that were protected by his hand from the glare of the sun. Rick saw that Daryl was trying to stifle a laugh, and couldn't help but burst into laughter himself. Now both men were laughing so hard, it felt good, it was a good release and a good start to the day.

"Come on, we gotta get a move on! And no getting us lost this time!" Daryl chuckled, over his shoulder, as he carried his bags to the car.

"Yeah, whatever you say." "Mister, Internal Compass." Rick chirped. He was glad the previous night's anger was over, he supposed all friends argued, and it's not worth carrying it on, especially when you don't know what's going to happen from one minute to the next, but arguing is human nature, and that is one thing they all had to remember, they were human, not savages, the world they lived in now was different and a lot of good people had turned to savagery because of the lack of law and order, then he thought to himself, "for fucks sake turn it off, and give your brain a break and enjoy the day!" Anyway, he was just glad it wouldn't be an angry silence in the car.

They ate a small breakfast of granola bars and water and hit the road again. This time in search of the prison, and if they found some sort of gas station or shop they would search for supplies, but their main concern was getting back to their family.

~T~

They had run into another herd, and so they had to back track, luckily they had found a gas station with a couple of cars in the parking lot. Rick had set about siphoning gas from the cars while Daryl had looked for supplies, he had found two small tins of baby formula in a diaper bag that had been left behind (he often wondered what had happened to the mothers and their babies, but he couldn't think of that now), he found some first aid kits, tinned food and some food for the road and a lot of cigarettes, hell he'd be stocked for months, he thought happily. He loaded it all into the car while Rick checked inside the cars for any weapons or supplies, but he had found nothing.

"Folks must have taken all the useful stuff with 'em." Daryl said lighting a cigarette and exhaling the smoke with satisfaction.

"Yeah, I guess so." Rick turned and smirked, he knew how much Daryl missed smoking, seeing him happy made him feel more optimistic about getting home.

"Ya think they're searching for us?" Daryl asked, looking down at the ground, afraid the answer was no, _damn my feelings of worthlessness_ he thought to himself. This was one of his insecurities. Carol was trying to help him with it, he was getting better, but had a long way to go yet.

"Yeah, we have an agreement, three days max. Then a search party is sent out. We'll back track again, and this time we'll find the prison, I'm sure of it." Rick smiled.

"Yea, I guess you're right."

~T~

"I think we're close." Merle said, looking over at Carol, she had demanded to go with them on the search. Maggie and Glenn were in the car behind theirs. (Merle wasn't sure why four people were needed to search for two people, but he guessed it had to do with them not trusting him).

"I hope so." Carol hadn't stopped staring out of the window, praying that they were safe.

"So why did ya come? Ya got a thing for Officer Friendly?" Merle sneered.

"No!" she looked at him, what was he getting at?

"So it's my baby brother then is it? Ya know I always thought you and him had a thing. Maybe with you he won't run away like he did them other girls." Merle smirked.

"What is that supposed to mean, Merle?"

"Well ya see, he ain't ever done it, so if ya'll are gonna do the deed, maybe he'll actually go through with it." Carol rolled her eyes, he was so gross sometimes, and she didn't know whether or not to trust a word that came out of his vulgar mouth, him and Daryl were so different she could hardly believe they were brothers, she also thought it may all just be a front with Merle, ah, dammit she just didn't know, but maybe time would tell.

She doubted Daryl was still a virgin, especially with his body, but then again he was distant with most people, he _was_ very self-conscious, so it could be true, but she wasn't going to talk about it with Merle anyway.

"Anyway, shouldn't be too far now, if I know my brother he would've stayed within the area." Just as he said this, another car came speeding past on the opposite side of the road and came to a skidding stop. Merle stopped the car, getting out, gesturing for Carol to stay put, but she ignored him and got out.

The driver's and front passenger's car doors swung open, everyone drew their weapons, Maggie, Glenn, Merle and Carol. All weapons were trained on the car.

"Ya gonna shoot ya own brother?" Daryl shouted, his voice filled with laughter and relief as he jumped out the driver's side car door; Merle laughed, as he sprinted over to his brother, the others lowered their weapons.

"Hey baby bro! We got someone 'ere, especially for ya!" Merle said, grinning as he hugged his brother, Daryl looked over Merles huge shoulder and saw her, Carol, his best friend. He'd fallen so madly for her. She had come with the search party to look for them. He smiled the biggest smile he could, man oh man, she was just what he needed to see! But he was angry too.

"Why did ya bring her? She could have been hurt!" Daryl said glaring at his brother.

"Well I'm not, am I?" Carol said moving closer. Daryl closed the distance and hugged her, ignoring the stares, he was just happy to be home, to him home would be anywhere she was, as long as he could hold her and keep her safe.

Merle nodded hello to Rick as Rick joined them all, the others hugged him and patted his back, glad that their leader was back safe and sound. Rick felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. He knew they were all a big family now, with the exception of Merle, who still had to prove himself within the group. Rick couldn't wait to get back to the prison to see the rest of his own family and the others, including one special girl, Michonne. "C'mon guys let's go", he shouted happily, pointing towards the prison. "Carol, I hope you have some of your delicious coffee brewing for us back there", Rick smiled." "You know I do!" Carol returned his smile. Everyone yelled "Yeah!" As they all headed back to the cars, Carol slipped her slender hand into Daryl's and held it gently, she looked up at him and smiled, he gave her a smile and a wink and held her hand tighter.


	4. An Unlikely Couple

_An unlikely couple..._

_Hello everyone! This chapter goes out to Athlete Girl, who wanted a Meth chapter. I hope I did the couple justice :D So if you don't like Meth, don't read it : ) but if you do I hope you enjoy it! and thank you all for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following! __We have reach over 1000 views over all so I'd like to thank you all!_

_I don't own The Walking Dead_.

Merle wouldn't admit it at first but the youngest Greene girl really did make living at the prison easier. At first he'd hated her just like everyone else, well except for his brother, he found her annoying, childish and to be quite frank damn right clingy. But in hind sight all the things that he thought were annoying, he actually loved! He loved that she was the only one who approached him without hesitation, and was always so kind to him even when he was being a bastard.

The day he realised he was starting to warm to her was the day she fired that gun in the prison in order to break up a fight he was having with Glenn, Merle of course didn't like that she broke up the fight, the little Asian guy was asking for it, and Merle had been in dire need of a good fight; Merle admired the balls she had to fire off that gun, she'd struck him as the type of girl that before the dead started to walk didn't know what a gun was and whose life was filled with rainbows and butterflies but this world had drastically changed her.

"Merle! Are you listening to me?!" Beth's voice drew him out of his thoughts

"What? Ya were sayin' somethin' about a car?" he looked up at her, the sun making her blonde hair look like a halo, and if you asked Merle she was worthy of one.

Beth sighed, "Merle, I was saying Maggie needs you to go on a run. you're the only able person available. " Merle smirked he loved messing with her sister so the run should be fun.

"See a run involves a car." Beth just huffed, turning to walk away but stopped when a rough hand grasped her wrist.

"Okay, I'll go, so long as you're here waiting for me when I get back!" merle said with a wink, he'd been trying to get her for weeks, but she just wouldn't cave; it confused Merle, usually it only took a couple of hours and they would be his, but she was just playing hard to get.

"Maybe…" Beth smiled, gently pulling her wrist from his grasp, the skin he touched tingled. She had had a crush on him since he got there, she wasn't sure he felt the same way but she could feel the sparks between them. She smiled to herself as she walked away, making a point of swinging her hips just a little more than usual.

Merle watched her leave, her hips swinging gracefully side to side as she walked away; if he wasn't careful she would be the death of him.

~T~

The run went smoothly. They had got the necessary medical supplies and food that they needed. Merle had made a point of annoying Maggie to the point where she just wanted to get in the car and leave him out there.

An argument had broken out in the car on the way back to the prison, Merle had made a comment about how pretty Beth was, and Maggie had tore into him about how her sister was off limits to him. Merle had retorted saying Beth could make her own choices and he was one of them Maggie would have to deal with that. They had both huffed and mumbled under their breathes and continued towards the prison in an angry silence.

When they pulled up to the prison, Maggie hauled herself out of the car and ran for the cell block. Merle knew exactly what she was doing and it annoyed him but he had to unload supplies, so he couldn't defend himself in the inevitable argument that would be breaking out between the two Greene sisters.

~T~

"Maggie, it isn't any of your business who I mingle with!" Beth yelled, standing up from her bunk, slamming her diary closed. Maggie had marched into her cell, and immediately began shouting about how Beth wasn't allowed to talk to Merle anymore.

"Beth, he's too damn old for you!" Maggie yelled at her sister. Maggie could feel herself getting angrier because Beth wasn't agreeing with her. Beth watched her sister pace in front of her, she could feel her blood beginning to boil and she let out a frustrated scream, making Maggie stop dead in her tracks staring at Beth.

"just get the hell out of my cell! You treat me like a child! I'm 22 Maggie! I like Merle, and if you don't like it you can keep it to yourself because Lord help me I'm sick of you and daddy trying to fuck with my life!" Maggie just stared at her sister, realising she wasn't the kid she once was.

"Girls, sorry to eavesdrop but I can't stand by and have you arguing, Merle is a good guy, under all the rough, hard headed outside. He's a Dixon and if you ask me, the two Dixons we have are good men." The two sisters turned to the cell door, there stood Carol, they had suspected she and Daryl were a thing but they hadn't been sure.

Maggie huffed and walked out of the cell block, in her opinion the man who beat up her fiancé is not a good man, not one bit.

~T~

"What's going on, saw Maggie storm into the cell block?" Daryl asked his brother who had come into the common room carrying supplies.

"She thinks she can convince her sister to stay away from me, if you ask me, she's going to get her eye wiped by her little sister! She can't accept the fact that her sister might want to live her own life!" Merle huffed, talking about it made him want to hit something.

"huh, okay. . . seems to me you're in love." Daryl said blocking a punch from Merle.

"shut ya mouth!" Merle yelled, he was furious, how dare his little brother!

"So how ya gonna show her?" Daryl knew that Merle liked Beth, he'd heard him talking about her in his sleep. Merle sighed dropping his head, he couldn't deny his feeling any longer, "I'm gonna try the best I can to win her."

"Well, okay then, Me and Carol will help ya." Daryl had told his brother about him and Carol, well he hadn't so much as told him, it was more that Merle caught him sneaking into her cell one night.

~T~

Merle had planned for days, seeking help from his baby brother and the mouse of all people, to say the least he felt out of his comfort zone but Daryl and Carol had said it would make Beth happy, and well that's all he could really ask for.

He had his best shirt and a new pair of jeans on

"You look dapper!" Carol said giggling to herself as she entered his cell. He flipped her off as he grabbed the tray of food Carol was holding.

"Come on now, is that anyway to talk to someone who has helped you?" Carol smiled, she really was proud of Merle for doing this.

"Shut up will ya, I swear you've gotten more annoying since ya been sharing a bed with my brother!" Merle retorted pleased by the crimson colour of Carol's face; served her right for trying and succeeding to embarrass him.

He stood outside Beth's cell, willing himself inside but his nerves were getting the better of him, man he felt like a teenager and that was not something he liked to feel like, he was a grown ass man!

"Merle, Is that you?" Beth came to the cell door, smiling at the rough man in front of her.

"Yea, I was hoping you would take a walk with me?" Merle played with a stray thread on his shirt, fuck he was nervous.

"Sure!" Beth smiled, she had been thinking about him non stop ever since the back and forth before the run, he really was all she wanted in a man. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she trusted him with her life so she went along with it.

They came to a stop at one of the warden's offices; the same offices they had been clearing for the older Woodbury folks. That confused her, what were they doing here?

"Merle, What are we doing here?"

"Well, I um… I wanted to prove to you that I was a good man, a man completely unworthy of you, but a good man that can look after you nevertheless." Merle blushed and opened the office door. Beth gasped he had really gone out, he had a candlelit dinner ready for them, he really did go all out.

Merle walked to the desk and picked up a bouquet of wild flowers he had hidden behind it. Slowly, he walked to Beth, the flowers behind his back.

"Um, these are for ya." He said, his voice shaky and his palms sweaty.

"Oh Merle they are perfect!" Beth smelt them and remembered telling Merle just how much she really loved the wild flowers just outside the fence; how their bright colours are a complete contrast to the way the world was now. She remembered telling him about how before the apocalypse began she never really appreciated them, but now they were one of the only pure things left in this world, the only normalcy she could think of was in nature.

That was one of the many things Merle loved about her, she was made for nature and he felt like nature was made for her sometimes as well, especially when he would be out hunting and he'd hear a bird sing or see a clearing in the woods full of flowers, it was as though nature had embraced the perfect being that is Beth and created itself in her image.

"I remember ya telling me about them." Merle flashed her a smile that took her breath away.

"We should eat before it gets cold." He had to distract himself from her or else his nerves may get the better of him.

"Uh, yea sure." Beth went to sit down but Merle got there first, he pulled her chair out for her. She was smiling like an idiot and she knew it, but she didn't care, he really was proving himself.

The meal was Carol's deer stew, and they filled the silence with Merle asking Beth questions about herself and her life before the apocalypse even though she had told him most of them before.

Merle had only planned on having dinner with her, and then walking her back to her cell, and if he was feeling lucky he would try for a kiss; but Beth thought otherwise. She had heard about the plan, and it had given her an idea. She had spoken to Daryl and asked him to pick up a bottle of Southern Comfort for Merle, as a sort of thank you. Daryl had agreed, telling her she best know what she was getting herself into and she had laughed saying she could look after herself.

Beth moved some of the books from the shelf on the wall, after telling Merle to sit down on the old lumpy couch. She put the books on the table and smiled as she saw the bottle and two glasses still there.

"Now what ya got there Missy?" Merle asked, this girl really was full of surprises.

"Well, truth be told, I heard you and Daryl talking about this plan so I came up with one of my own!" She poured Merle and herself a glass. Merle almost gasped when she poured her own, damn this girl was a whole new thing to him.

"Well, ain't you just a lil' fire cracker!" Merle chuckled.

"Well, I try." Beth pulled a face as she took a sip, the drink burning her throat, but she welcomed it, it was a good type of burn. Merle patted the couch next to him, and Beth sat next to him, staring into his eyes. There was something about this man she couldn't put her finger on, but one thing she could was the new look in his eyes, they seemed to have hope, and she was happy for that, he definitely deserved it.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Merle?" Beth asked taking a sip of her drink, this time not pulling a face as she did.

Before Merle could think his lips found hers, their drinks forgotten on the floor where Merle had put them. Beth's head was swimming she had never kissed someone like this. Merle flicked his tongue out, gently tracing her bottom lip, silently asking for permission to go further. Beth responded by parting her lips slightly, Merle used the opportunity to kiss her passionately.

He pulled back, not wanting too, but he didn't know how long he could keep going before he lost his control.

They were both panting lightly, still reeling from the intensity of the kiss.

"Stay with me?" Merle said, instantly feeling like less of a man, he was Merle Dixon for god's sake, and Dixon's didn't ask that kind of stuff; but he didn't want her to leave.

"I'll stay." Beth said pulling him in for another kiss.

~T~

The next morning everyone stared at them as they walked into the common room for breakfast, there was really no denying the relationship now; and everyone would have to accept that, even if some of them weren't happy about it.


End file.
